Finding Love on Planet Gunsmoke
by Fangirling all over the place
Summary: A young girl meets the man who destroyed everything she held dear but he is not the man she thought he was. As she begins to fall for the man in the red coat, unfortunately Knives and Legato have other plans for her.
1. The Man in the Red Coat

Full Summary: This was originally written as a You/Vash series on another site but required extensive editing, so it was turned into a fanfiction! Because you/choose your own ending series' are not allowed, it was changed up a bit to include an OC, but keep in mind during the flow of this story that it was originally meant to include the reader. A young girl meets the man who destroyed everything she held dear but he is not the man she thought he was. As she begins to fall for the man in the red coat, unfortunately Knives and Legato have other plans for her.

Warnings: This story has been rated T for violence, some language, sexual situations, underage drinking, some trigger warnings such as physical abuse, sexual abuse and mental character torture. There will be two "adult scenes" which will be written off-site and linked for those who want to read them, but will allow for those who do not to safely and without effort skip them. All of the above will be sprinkled throughout but we figured a fair warning in advance would save any shock you may have in the future, for our more sensitive readers.

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun nor do we own the items or settings where this story takes place. All we own is the idea for this nifty little story and our original characters. Please don't sue, as all you will get from us is the lint from our pockets and some wallets which may contain dead moths that won't even be alive to fly out when you open them.

_**Title: Finding Love on Planet Gunsmoke**_  
_**Chapter: The Man in the Red Coat**_  
_**Chapter Written By: Peggi  
Edited and Revised By: Devy**_

Walking into the first bar she came across in the middle of the city, Kallie sighed gratefully to be able to finally quench her thirst. As soon as she walked in, most of the men eyed her, cat-calling and whistling at her. She ignored them, knowing that they would stop; they always eventually do. Once she reached the bar she smiled at the bartender, her ice-blue eyes showing just how exhausted she really was. She simply ordered a glass of water and viewed the other patrons out of the corner of her eye. Once the bartender handed her a tall glass of water, she handed over a few bills and made her way to the back of the bar.

'What kind of churchman is he, anyway?' she wondered to herself as she passed a man who was obviously a priest, smoking like a chimney and downing what appeared to be his third mug of beer, while gambling money away in a game of poker.

She sighed as she sat down, happy to finally be able to relax, trying not to down her water too quickly. She was very dehydrated and knew that if she drank too fast, she would likely make herself sick. She'd been walking almost all day, and was grateful for the break. Unfortunately, her break was about to be cut short when a man in a red coat burst through the door and ran up to the priest. She tried not to stare, but the man in the coat had made quite a scene. Besides that, she actually thought he was pretty cute. Suddenly, the man in the coat pulled on the priest's arm.

"We have to get out of here, _now_!" he urged.

"But I'm winning!" the priest protested, but seconds after stood up quickly when there was the sound of gunfire from somewhere outside. "Oh, okay, I see what you mean. Let's go!"

Before turning to leave with the man in the red coat, he grabbed what appeared to be a giant cross, which was an odd item to carry around, but then again, Kallie didn't know much about priests. Both men took off as quickly as coat-man had come, and the patrons were all starting to panic because of the gunshots from outside. Kallie was more frustrated than afraid, as it seemed that every town she'd been in had some sort of gun-fight at some point or another, so she calmly took a few gulps of her water and then stood, getting ready to run out the back exit like the other patrons were starting to do.

She realized that the priest and coat-man had run right into the street where the shots had been fired, and wondered if they were okay. She brushed it off, realizing that they had to have been mad anyway to run _towards_ the sounds of guns. Kallie was about to leave through the back when she heard shots being fired from somewhere near the back, so she froze, suddenly reality that she could die at any moment catching up to her. Shaking from fear, she walked up to the window near the front and peeked outside to see if she could see a safe way to get outside.

When she looked out, all she saw was complete chaos. People were running through the streets, people were shooting at one another, even very young children had somehow managed to find guns and knives and were killing their own parents and everyone else who was anywhere near them! Down the street she could see a man sitting down in the bed of a pickup truck, dressed in pure white in an outfit that was the strangest she'd ever seen. She could barely make out his face, especially with his short blue-toned hair covering his eyes, but he seemed completely calm and his lips were forming a small smile. Her eyes were fixed on him, but a huge truck sped in front of him, obviously containing people trying to get out of town, and the moment it had passed, the man was gone. He had completely vanished.

Just then, she felt someone behind her, a gun aimed at the back of her head. She was filled with terror, too afraid to move a muscle, desperately wanting to scream or beg for her life, but despite her mouth gaping open, no sound escaped her lips.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you," a soft voice whispered, almost soothingly "unless he doesn't listen to what I have to say, that is. Now scream, so that he knows I have you."

Kallie didn't know what else to do, and after a few failed attempts, a scream finally came from her mouth. She was still shaking, hoping, _praying_ that the man behind her didn't shoot. She didn't want to die. Not this early in her life. Not like this. She felt the tears falling relentlessly down her cheeks, wanting to keep screaming so that whoever this man was trying to alert would just hurry up and get there, when suddenly someone burst through the doors. The man with the red coat was now standing before them.

"It took you long enough," the man behind her said, almost casually, which made it even more terrifying.

Kallie was too afraid to turn her head but could clearly see the emotional pain on coat-man's face as he spoke, "let her go, Legato! Just let her go, please! She isn't involved in this, so let her go! You've already hurt so many people!"

"I'll make you a deal. If you kill me, I will let her go," the man named Legato proposed to him.

"I...I can't kill you, I just can't! And you know that!"

"You kill me, or she dies."

Kallie wanted so badly for the coat-man to kill Legato but he just stood there. She wanted to fall to her knees and plead for her life, to plead for Legato to die, to plead for him to let her go. She just wanted to be anywhere else but there at the moment. Suddenly she was afraid that if coat-man tried to shoot Legato and missed, she could be hit and die anyway. Or what if he had his finger on the trigger too tightly and when he was shot he accidentally fired? About a thousand other scenarios started fleeting through her thoughts, and she just stood there, crying, for what seemed like an eternity. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak. She could just stand there and cry. After a long pause and terrifying silence, Legato spoke.

"Fine then, you will meet my master, and you will die. Take this wench, but keep her alive for a little while. She may come in handy. You can use her as an excellent human shield, a personal toy, even. Personally, I would use her for target practice, but you're simply not as creative as myself."

Legato shoved Kallie towards the man in the red coat and she turned as he caught her, seeing the man for just a split second before he turned to walk away. It was the man she'd seen before, sitting in the bed of the pickup truck. Chills ran down her entire body, remembering how calm and almost amused he'd appeared and still hearing that calm, almost soothing voice in her mind.

He was at the back of the bar and Kallie let out a sigh of relief, wiping the tears from her eyes and grateful that the ordeal was over, when he suddenly turned back around to face them. Without any warning, Legato raised his gun again and fired, hitting Kallie. She was in too much shock for it to register right away, but she heard him speak.

"You see? Excellent shield. The bullet hit her, rather than you. I just knew she would come in handy."

The next thing Kallie knew, she was falling, her vision going black, pain surging through her entire body. She felt like she'd been lit on fire and her hearing started to go fuzzy. She saw flashes of images around her, switching from the blurred images to black for just a few seconds. She saw the man with the coat catch her. She saw the pained expression on his face. Had she been completely coherent she probably would've taken time to blame him for not shooting Legato when he had a chance, but as it was, she was too out of it. Then, just as quickly as it had all happened, she lost consciousness and prepared herself for what was to come next. Death.

Death, however, did not come for her as she'd expected it to. She still felt the pain in her side and now a new, aching feeling all over. She opened her eyes, instantly realizing she was not still in the bar, and she tried to rub her eyes to clear the blurred vision. It hurt to lift her arms and she instantly noticed that she was laying down in a bed. She propped herself up with her elbow and looked down.

She was not wearing a shirt or bra and her clothing had been replaced by bandages, wrapping around her body. She blushed a bit, realizing that the man in the red coat must've undressed her to remove the bullet and bandage her up. She clearly wasn't in a hospital, so that was the only other logical thought. She was slightly embarrassed, but mostly grateful that he'd saved her life. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the door slowly opened and a young woman entered the room. The woman was carrying some clothes that were neatly folded in a pile and smiled at her when she saw she was awake.

"Hi there, glad that you're awake. My name is Meryl Stryfe, what's yours?"

Kallie tried to give her name but had to clear her throat a couple of times before she could speak, the coughing making her side hurt a bit worse. Finally she managed to answer the question, "nice to meet you, Meryl. I'm Kallie."

"Kallie, that's a very pretty name. I've brought you some clean clothes, hopefully they'll fit you okay," she informed, setting the clothes down at the foot of the bed.

"Meryl, just out of curiosity...did you bandage me up, or did...did the man in the red coat do it?"

She probably should just be glad that she was even alive and not care if the coat-man had stripped her down in a heroic life-saving way, but the thought of a strange man seeing her naked bothered her too much _not_ to ask.

Meryl just laughed a bit, "I did. I wouldn't trust that pervert to undress and bandage you, so don't worry."

Kallie gasped, "pervert?!"

"Oh," Meryl laughed again "don't worry, he's harmless. A bit of a womanizer, but he's actually a pretty sweet man. Now, get dressed and come on out. We were about to eat dinner and I'm sure you're very hungry. You've been resting since yesterday evening!"

Kallie just smiled at her, trying to ignore the pain she was in, and nodded. Once Meryl had closed the door behind her, Kallie sat up all the way and stood up. She was a bit wobbly, but managed to walk to the foot of the bed and view herself in a standing mirror that was in the corner of the small bedroom. Her hair was matted, probably a combination of sweat and tears that had collected in it, but overall she didn't look as bad as she felt. Meryl must've bathed her, because there was no sign that she'd bled all over herself and not a speck of dust or dirt to be seen. She ran her fingers through her hair and found that it actually wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought it to be.

She grabbed the shirt that had been left for her and slipped it on as carefully as she could. It fit her just right, a bit loose which she was glad about, since she didn't want anything too tight to rub the bandages. It was just a simple black t-shirt, a set of black sweatpants to match. They, too, were a bit loose, but she raised her eyebrows in surprise with how cute they looked on her. She typically wore jeans, but thought that maybe this could be a new look for her. There was also a pair of socks which she slipped on, and her sneakers had been washed and dried. Once she was completely dressed, she sat at the foot of the bed for a few moments to gain her strength back.

Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself to leave the room, Kallie stood and left the room. No sooner had she closed the bedroom door behind her and turned back around, did the man in the red coat walk up to her. He had a big, goofy grin on his face.

"Hi there!" he greeted her with the same level of enthusiasm as a little kid on Christmas "I was wondering, are you married?"

Kallie raised an eyebrow at his odd greeting and even more odd question, walking right past him and not bothering to dignify the question with an answer.

"Hey!" he followed her as she walked towards the kitchen, "I was only trying to make conversation with you!"

She ignored his whining and followed the smell of food, finding herself in the kitchen and in a room with two other women. The kitchen was very simple, a table with four chairs around it, very little counter space, a stove and very small cabinets. Kallie couldn't tell what was being prepared, but whatever it was, it made her mouth water and she suddenly realized just how hungry she really was. Meryl was at the stove, stirring something in a pot, and another woman was preparing a salad at the table.

The long-haired woman at the table looked up and greeted Kallie right away with a big smile, "hello there! You must be Kallie. I'm Millie! I bet you're starving, so sit down. Dinner's just about done!"

Millie was certainly right! Kallie felt her stomach grumble as she sat down in one of the chairs at the table and watched Meryl turn the burner off on the stove.

* * *

Peggi: Well, my lovely little llamas, how did you like the very first chapter? I wrote this many years ago, initially as a you/Vash quiz on quizilla, but I finally decided to let some friends do an edit job and make it worthy of posting to this site! Keep in mind I was a little one when I wrote this, so don't judge it with flamethrowers and pitchforks at the ready!

Devy: I got to edit it this chapter! Yay! So please send in some lovely reviews, and I will get to editing chapter 2 for you guys!


	2. The Man who Destroyed July

Quick Recap: A young woman named Kallie stops in a bar and Legato shows up in town, causing the people of the town to begin killing one another. Kallie is placed in a life or death situation with his gun to her head, in order to become bait to get the man in the red coat into the bar. Just as she thinks the ordeal is over, Legato shoots her right in front of the man in the red coat, and he then takes her back to an inn where her wounds are tended to. She meets Millie and Meryl and they are about to sit down for dinner!

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun nor do we own the items or settings where this story takes place. All we own is the idea for this nifty little story and our original characters. Please don't sue, as all you will get from us is the lint from our pockets and some wallets which may contain dead moths that won't even be alive to fly out when you open them.

_**Chapter: The Man who Destroyed July**_  
_**Chapter Written By: Peggi  
Edited and Revised By: Devy**_

As soon as Meryl removed the pot from the stove Millie stood and grabbed some plates from one of the cabinets. Meryl poked her head around the doorway to call in the man with the red coat.

"Vash, dinner is done!"

No sooner did she call for him was the man in the red coat, now known to Kallie as 'Vash', in the room. Everyone served their plates and sat around the table. Meryl had made a nice beef roast with vegetables mixed in and garlic bread, which all went very well with Millie's salad. Everyone began eating right away and were all enjoying their dinner but from the moment Vash entered the room, the wheels in Kallie's head were turning. Halfway through the dinner, Kallie began eyeing him and eating more slowly and no one noticed for several minutes, until Vash looked up from his nearly finished dinner.

"Everything alright, Kallie?" he asked in his overly-cheerful voice.

"Peachy," she replied very dryly.

She continued to watch him until the dinner was completely finished, and as soon as the girls were done with their food Meryl noticed the tension that could be cut with a knife. If you could glare daggers at a person, Vash would've been skinned, diced into little pieces, and prepared to be made into Vash stew by now. She decided to try and break the tension, despite not really knowing how or if it was even a smart idea.

"So, Kallie, where are you traveling? I noticed your shoes are pretty worn out and your bag was packed for some serious travel!"

Kallie never moved her eyes off of Vash when she spoke, "wherever life takes me. It's not like I have anywhere special to go."

Vash was almost nervous, feeling Kallie's eyes on him. He most definitely did not want to speak and possibly anger Kallie further, not that he knew what he'd done to deserve a look of hatred in the first place.

"Well then," Meryl didn't give up "you're welcome to travel with us while you recover from that gunshot wound."

"Yeah!" Millie chimed in, also noticing some bad vibes floating through the air, "we don't get company often! It'll be great!"

"Me? Travel with _him_? I really don't think so!" Kallie stood, grabbed her plate and water glass and took them to the sink.

"Me?" Vash hesitated with the question.

"Yes, _you_! Do you see any other men at this table?!" there was hatred and plenty of venom in her voice when she spoke.

"S-sorry..."

"You have no idea who I am, do you?!" Kallie raised her voice at this point.

"No, I really don't."

"Well you should! It took me a while to put two and two together, but you're the reason I travel. You're the reason I travel _alone_. You ruined my whole life! You took everything and everyone I knew and destroyed it all. You're the reason my parents and my sister are dead!"

Everyone was speechless again, and Vash wanted to ask her what she meant but was almost afraid to. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come to him. Whatever he had done, it had somehow ruined this girl's life, and he had no way of making it up to her.

"Did you know that when you destroyed my city, when you destroyed my _life_, that I was only spared because I was away visiting some friends? I spent the better part of my time afterwards wondering why me? Why was I still alive and safe? You destroyed July! My parents killed each other, fighting over food. My little sister, she died when an elderly man who ran a toy store down the street from us killed her for a few bites of bread. That man who I have known my whole life, who used to fix my dolls when they were broken, who I always thought of as family, he killed my sister. And it's all your fault! Vash, the Humanoid Typhoon!"

Before Kallie had time to storm off, back to the bedroom she'd woken up in, Vash stood, nearly knocking the chair down in his haste. Kallie was almost certain he was about to somehow harm her or retaliate, but instead, he did something unexpected.

"Kallie, I'm so sorry," his voice sounded shaky and he didn't give her time to reply before taking off into the next room.

Kallie stood by the sink, fueled by anger and hate, yet her confusion at least prevented her from following him with a slur of angry words. She looked to the girls, both frozen after witnessing Kallie screaming at Vash.

"I'm sorry," she really did feel bad for ruining their evening "dinner was wonderful, but I'm sure you want me out of here after that."

"No," Millie offered a little smile "you're still welcome to stay here for the night and get some rest. We'll be taking off in the morning, and you're still welcome to come with us if you'd like."

Kallie just smiled back and nodded, not really giving a definitive answer. Kallie started to head back towards her room when she noticed Vash was sitting on the couch. He had his face in his hands and by the movement of his shoulders, she could tell that he was...crying? She eyed him for a moment, not sure what to do and still very confused by his reaction to what she had said in the kitchen. Before she knew what she was doing, Kallie's instincts took over and she approached the man.

As though her body were on auto-pilot, Kallie sat down next to Vash, placing a hand on his shoulder. At the touch, he lifted his head and looked into Kallie's eyes. She saw right away that his eyes were red already from crying, and she just stared into them for a few seconds. Before Kallie realized what was happening, Vash pulled her into a hug and began crying on her shoulder. Kallie didn't know what to do at that point. Her mind was in a heated battle at the moment. A part of her wanted to push him off and slap him for even touching her after what he'd put her through, yet the other part of her wanted to put her arms around him and comfort him. With the conflict in her mind, all she could do was sit there and not move a muscle.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he kept repeating, still sobbing on her shoulder.

Kallie pulled away from him, causing him to sit up straight again, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he looked at her. She sighed, not really sure what to say to him for a few moments, before she just let the Kallie auto-pilot mode take over again.

"Vash, you've already apologized. I really have to ask you something, though."

Vash sniffled, forcing himself to stop crying as much as he possibly could. He wiped the tears away, a fruitless move because they were replaced almost immediately with new tears. Sniffling again, he nodded, letting her know that he was ready for her question. He kept the eye contact until Kallie looked away, staring down at her lap and speaking softly.

"If you're so sorry now, why did you destroy July in the first place?" it was a question she had wondered since the day it happened.

Vash finally looked away, his crying a lot more calm now, but tears still fell from his eyes. He wiped them away again, pausing for a few moments before he even attempted an answer, staring at the floor as he did so.

"I don't even remember destroying it in the first place. It wasn't my fault. I-I didn't mean to do it."

Kallie wasn't really sure how to take that response. For a long time now she had imagined what it would be like the day she met Vash the Stampede. She always pictured him as a big, scary looking guy who made that man, Legato, look like a saint. She pictured that if she ever met him she would just know it was him and that she wouldn't have second thoughts about killing him for what he had caused her life to become. Now, here he was, the man she'd wanted dead, and she felt the need to comfort him. He actually felt bad about what had happened to July and possibly, if he was telling the truth, not only didn't intend for it to happen, but didn't even _remember_ destroying it.

'How can this even be the same man?' Kallie wondered to herself.

The two sat in silence for what felt like ages for both of them, neither really having the desire to be the next one to speak. They made eye contact again and neither broke it for almost a full minute until Vash finally caved and spoke.

"Really though, I am so sorry for what I put you through."

Looking into his eyes, Kallie could tell that there was no way that this man had intentionally caused all of that damage and destruction. There was also no way that he could possibly be lying, not that she could think of any reason that he would, not if he'd destroyed an entire city. He should be bragging, if he had meant for it to happen. Kallie just took in a deep breath and nodded.

"I believe you, that you didn't destroy the city intentionally. But...how? How could you destroy a city without meaning to? Without remembering?"

Vash opened his mouth to speak, but before the words could leave his mouth there was a loud knock at the door. Meryl, who had been standing in the doorway, making sure that the conversation on the couch didn't get out of hand, walked over to it to answer it. Kallie and Vash's attention went back to the door and the two of them sat in silence, waiting to see who was there. A man stepped inside as the girls both greeted him, Kallie instantly recognizing him. It was the priest she had seen at the bar; the one who Vash had dragged off towards the sound of gunfire who drank and smoked and played poker.

The priest looked towards the small living room area of the inn, the girls following him as he made his way there. Kallie wrinkled her nose at the smell of cigarettes on the man and watched as he sat down, propping the very large cross he was still carrying around against the wall.

"Well then," he sighed as he made himself comfortable "glad to see you up and getting around. Just in time, too! I'm Nicholas Wolfwood, by the way!"

Kallie forgot for a moment that her side still hurt, at least until she leaned forward to shake the hand he was extending to her. Millie and Meryl sat down on the love-seat, joining in the conversation. Kallie felt slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation, but stayed where she was to see what he had meant by 'just in time'. The situation bothered her because she was wounded, in a room with two women she hadn't even known for an hour, the man who she would've gladly shot in the head as of yesterday, and a priest who was as shady as they came for a church man.

"So, I take it we're leaving town tomorrow?" Meryl directed her question at Wolfwood.

"You've got it! So, I didn't catch this pretty young thing's name."

It was very obvious that the man was flirting with her, which would've been flattering on any other day and by a man who was not supposed to be a man of the cloth.

"Kallie," she answered very matter-of-factly.

"Kallie, well that's a name as beautiful as the girl who has it!" more flirting that made Kallie even more uncomfortable.

"We'll leave bright and early then!" Meryl informed the group.

Wolfwood gave Vash a questioning look, "Vash, something the matter?"

Vash just shook his head with very little enthusiasm and looked down at the floor again.

"Welllll alrighty then!" Wolfwood brushed off the response as he stood, "I guess I'll be getting a shower then and heading to bed! I'll see you all in the morning!"

'So they all stay here? I wonder if I'm supposed to be sharing my room with someone. This place doesn't look like it's got a lot of space' Kallie internally worried herself.

"I guess I'll head off to my room then. Thanks again, everyone, for helping me out. I do appreciate it."

Everyone stood at once and Kallie hoped someone would clarify the question she had in her mind. As though reading her thoughts, Vash answered for her.

"Millie and Meryl are on the opposite end of the inn, you'll be across the hall from me and Wolfwood," in his own mind, Vash was just giving Kallie an opportunity to switch rooms and stay in a room with one of the girls, if she wanted.

"Okay, that sounds good," she responded, waving a goodnight to everybody minus Wolfwood, who had already taken off to get his shower.

"Sleep well tonight, Kallie!" Millie smiled at her.

"You too, good night girls!"

With that everyone branched off to wards their own separate ends of the inn. Vash allowed Kallie to walk a few steps ahead of him, trying to avoid invading her space. Kallie didn't seem to be paranoid by his being right behind her, and it hadn't really occurred to her to care. Just as she was opening the door to the bedroom that was to be hers, Vash spoke in a very soft tone.

"Hey, Kallie?"

"Yeah?" she was a bit unsure of where this conversation might go.

"I'll never hurt you again. I swear. I'll be here to protect you."

Kallie suddenly felt all of the anger just melting away. This man really wasn't who she had hated all this time. The man she hated never really existed. It was just a man who had somehow accidentally destroyed a city but had the guilt anyway. Vash was just a man. A man who clearly had feelings. A man who had tried to come to her rescue, who was so sensitive and kind that he couldn't even kill another human being who was torturing him by forcing him to watch other people die. This was the man who had taken her after she was shot by Legato and made sure she was nursed back to health.

_'I'll always be here to protect you' _repeated in her mind for a few moments as she looked deep into his eyes. Vash began to lean forward, something that Kallie would've felt butterflies because of in any other situation. She didn't want to be kissed. Not now, and not when she was just finally starting to feel better about this man. Closer, closer, until she was positive the kiss was about to happen, but then Vash pulled her into a hug. He held her tightly for a few moments until she wrapped her arms around him, sighing into his chest and feeling more safe and secure than she had in quite some time.

When the hug was over, which seemed to Kallie to last for several minutes, Vash simply kissed her forehead and then turned around. He walked into his room and left Kallie standing outside of her bedroom, still trying to process what had just happened. Suddenly, the butterflies Kallie was missing from just before she thought she was about to be kissed showed up. She wanted so badly to hate this man, but something inside of her betrayed her wishes. She smiled, walked into her room, and sank into the bed. Letting out a content sigh, Kallie drifted off into sleep to dream about all of the good memories of her life. She even had a dream where she and Vash and the girls were just traveling the world together. It was the first time since she'd lost everything she had ever known, that she dreamed of something peaceful.

* * *

Peggi: I know it's getting a little feelsy pretty fast, but keep in mind this was written as an insert-yourself quiz-style thingy so it wasn't too terribly long. But, other than that, liking it so far?

Devy: Poor Vashy-baby! All that guilt and emotional pain he goes through! It kills me on the inside!

Peggi: I know! Well, readers, please send us your reviews and let us know what you think about the story so far!

Devy: And bonus question - do you think that Kallie will decide to travel with Vash and the gang, or do you think she'll just have run-ins with them from time to time?


	3. The Man who will Always Protect Her

Quick Recap: Kallie realizes that Vash is the man who ruined her life, but may not be the man she once thought he was. She comes to the realization that maybe things aren't what they seemed when she was a child, and she meets Wolfwood briefly. Vash promises to protect Kallie and that he will never hurt her again which gives her mixed feelings about where to go from here, followed by a nice dream about what the future may hold.

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun nor do we own the items or settings where this story takes place. All we own is the idea for this nifty little story and our original characters. Please don't sue, as all you will get from us is the hairbrush Peggi sings opening themes into while watching anime and then she'd be sad.

_**Chapter: The Man who will Always Protect Her**_  
_**Chapter Written By: Peggi and Harmony  
Edited and Revised By: Devy and Peggi**_

Kallie awoke to someone shaking her gently. She sat up very slowly, trying to avoid hurting her side, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As soon as she was able to see clearly she turned to see who was in her room. Millie was standing next to the bed with a big smile on her face.

"We're leaving in a little while. We let you sleep longer because we figured you'd want to rest, but you'd better get up now if you want to come with us," her voice was unnervingly cheerful for this time of day.

Once Kallie managed to get herself dressed in the t-shirt and sweatpants from the evening before, she grabbed her bag and exited the room. Everyone was already outside, waiting, aside from Wolfwood who was finishing his breakfast in the kitchen. Wolfwood smiled at Kallie as she entered the room.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" he greeted her.

"Morning," she was sure to avoid the 'good', since so far it was _not_ a good morning, as it appeared to still practically be night outside. "So, I guess everyone else is outside waiting?"

Wolfwood nodded, "they are. I won't be traveling with the four of you, but I always manage to bump into that little group somewhere along the line!"

Kallie smiled at him, despite feeling like she was sleepwalking, "well then, guess I'll be seeing you around!"

Wolfwood nodded as he took another bite of his breakfast and Kallie waved good-bye to him before walking outside. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and everyone was already waiting in the car. Millie was driving as Meryl secured the small amount of luggage to the vehicle. Vash was sitting in the back seat and Kallie didn't hesitate to slide in next to him. After the way he had made her feel the night before, just as they were parting ways, Kallie honestly didn't want to miss out on a chance to be anywhere near him. Meryl finished securing everything and was about to get into the car when she realized that Kallie was in the back seat, so she slid into the passenger seat up front without a word to anyone.

They had been driving around for several hours and Kallie noticed that nearly the entire time they'd been in the car, Meryl had taken every possible opportunity to glance into the back seat and look at she and Vash. She would turn around every now and then, and Kallie would catch her watching them through the mirrors on the vehicle. She wasn't sure why Meryl was so interested in keeping an eye on the two of them, but she shrugged off her worries.

Almost since they began their journey, Vash had been looking out the window. He just stared into the distance, a serious look on his face which gave Kallie some concerns. She wondered if he was still upset after last night when she'd confronted him the way she had. She decided to break the silence that had been going on for hours now.

"Vash, is something the matter?"

Turning his head to face her, he offered a small smile, "no, I'm just tired. Are you bored?"

He poked Kallie on the side, careful to make sure he wasn't touching the side she'd been shot on, and it caused her to jump a little and giggle at the sensation. Meryl turned around instantly and glared at Vash. She didn't say anything, but Kallie definitely noticed the odd behavior, especially that time. Kallie turned to Vash and leaned in, whispering to him.

"I think Meryl likes you, Vash."

Vash smiled a little bit, wondering if maybe Kallie could be right and Meryl really did like him, but just as quickly as he'd considered it, he dismissed it. After the way she was always getting on him about causing so much damage in the towns they passed and all of the yelling she did, not to mention the annoyed looks he always got from the woman, he doubted she liked him. If anything, she tolerated him at best.

It was nearly noon before they stopped for the first time since they had left the inn. It was a little out-of-the-way pit-stop with a single gas pump out front and just a few shops next to the convenience store. Millie pulled up next to the pump and everyone got out of the car to stretch. Millie wandered off and Kallie assumed she was headed to the restroom, while Meryl began pumping gas into the car right away. Vash grabbed Kallie's hand and kissed the back of it.

"I'm going to buy some food. I'll be right back, okay?"

Kallie felt her cheeks turning a little bit red as he stared into her eyes with his own gorgeous ones. All she could do was nod and smile as he walked off towards the store. Kallie felt the butterflies in her stomach again that she'd felt the night before. She never, not in a million years, thought that she would have a crush on Vash. The very man she'd wished dead so many times was kissing the back of her hand and making her feel like a schoolgirl with a case of puppy-love.

Vash disappeared inside and Kallie just leaned against the side of the car, sighing dreamily. She saw Meryl out of the corner of her eye, clearly unhappy with what had just taken place, and watched as she put the nozzle back where it belonged and put the cap back on the car.

After she was finished getting the gas, Meryl stalked off towards the store without a word. Clearly Kallie had been right, and Meryl _did_ have a thing for Vash. Obviously, though, Vash had his eye on someone else. Kallie had only been standing at the car for a few moments when she noticed a man in the doorway of the shop next door to the convenience store. He was talking to someone, and Kallie instantly recognized that someone as Legato. He was facing away from her but she could see for certain that it was him. The hair and the strange white coat gave it away instantly.

Hoping that Legato wouldn't notice her or somehow recognize the car and realize who it belonged to, Kallie walked towards the store and quickly as she could. She tried to avoid drawing attention to herself, and let out a huge sigh of relief when she made it inside without Legato so much as looking in her direction. She began to immediately look for Vash but noticed Millie first.

"Millie!" Kallie was using a hushed tone as though Legato could hear her from a full building over if she weren't quiet.

"What is it, Kallie?"

"Where's Vash?"

Millie simply pointed towards the blonde who was walking out of the bathroom, grabbing a few boxes of donuts on his way to the checkout. He sat the boxes down and pulled some money out, waiting for the cashier to ring him up. Kallie walked as quickly as she could, not missing a beat once she got to him, to tell him what was going on.

"Vash, Legato is outside talking to a man _next door_! He didn't see me, but we have _got_ to get out of here!"

Vash looked to Kallie, his expression changing almost instantly from care-free to concerned. Vash handed the now paid for boxes of donuts to Kallie and ran up to the door to look outside. He glanced around for a few seconds and then turned back to Kallie.

"Where did you see them?"

"Straight ahead, next to the jeep parked in front of the shop next door. He was talking to a man who looked an awful lot like you. They were right by the doorway and Legato was facing away from me."

Vash gave her a questioning look that she couldn't quite read and she took a few steps towards him. Vash looked back outside and then back towards Kallie again.

"They aren't out there now. You sure you saw Legato?" Vash's puzzled expression was returned with Kallie's puzzled expression.

Kallie took a few more steps until she was at the door and peeked out through the glass. No one was outside at all and the jeep was gone. She knew she was definitely tired, but not tired enough to hallucinate, she didn't think. She realized she might've just been imagining it between the exhaustion and possibly shock from everything that had taken place in the last couple of days. She'd nearly passed out from dehydration, been shot, met the man she blamed for destroying her home town - that is a lot for a girl to take in all at once!

Millie and Meryl walked up to the door where Vash and Kallie were still glancing outside. The girls led the way and Vash just smiled at Kallie and held the door open for her. She walked through and Vash followed, keeping a few steps ahead of her as they made their way back to the vehicle. Suddenly, Kallie heard a click, one that she was quite familiar with and also happened to be very close to her. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see the cashier pointing a gun at her head.

Kallie tried to call out to Vash but the words just couldn't escape her throat due to the fear she was feeling at the moment. Luckily, however, Vash must've been on high alert because he heard the noise as well. The other three were several steps ahead of Kallie but Vash managed to get back to her very quickly. The girls stayed a few feet back but also tried to come to her aid. She expected Vash to kill the guy, but instead he pulled a gun out and shot him in the side. The cashier dropped to his knees, the gun falling from his hands, and he clutched his side in pain.

Moaning and still gripping his side, the man tried to get up but failed to do so after a couple of attempts. Meryl grabbed Millie by the arm and spoke to the other three, clearly just as concerned about the situation as Kallie was.

"We have got to get out of here, now! That man was being controlled by Legato! Who knows where Legato is now or what he's planning to do next!"

The four all ran back to their vehicle and got back into their seats. Millie didn't allow much time before she sped off. Kallie sighed in relief that she had escaped yet another Legato attack and was grateful that Vash had been there to save the day. Again. She smiled inwardly, that little crush growing just a little bit inside of her. Once the pit stop was out of their rear view mirror, Vash spoke to Kallie.

"I was so afraid he was going to hurt you."

Kallie looked to Vash, noticing that he had tears in his eyes that he wasn't allowing to fall. Kallie wanted to comfort him and let him know it was all going to be okay, and that she was very grateful to him. She didn't have time to say a thing before he put his hand on her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. It was just a simple, quick, sweet, to-the-point kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds but those few seconds were absolute bliss to Kallie. More importantly, Kallie certainly didn't resist, even in the slightest. As Vash pulled away, she looked into his eyes and just smiled at him. Any animosity she had towards him before was definitely gone now.

Kallie felt herself blushing slightly as she spoke, "I was afraid for a split second but then I knew I'd be fine. After all, you promised you would protect me, remember?"

Vash returned Kallie's smile and gave her another quick kiss, which may have lasted longer this second time around had Meryl not interrupted the moment. She cleared her throat, making sure that both Vash and Kallie gave her their full attention. Slightly embarrassed, Kallie just looked down at her lap while Vash continued to wear that goofy grin that Kallie was starting to find absolutely adorable.

Millie just laughed a little, "I think Meryl is just jealous that Mr. Vash likes you, Kallie!"

The comment caused Meryl to blush while giving the other girl a dirty look, while Kallie could do nothing but blush in the back seat and think about how much she really, _really_ wanted another kiss.

Suddenly, Kallie realized she was still holding the boxes of donuts, "oh, I totally forgot. I kept the donuts safe!"

Grinning, Kallie handed the boxes over to Vash, who then distributed the boxes so that the girls up front got half and he and Kallie had the other half. She had never seen so much enthusiasm over food as she was seeing at that very moment when Vash began eating his portion of the donuts. Kallie just nibbled on hers while Vash devoured them as though they were the rarest prize on the planet and if he didn't eat them quickly, little donut stealing fairies would come and snatch them up.

The rest of the day was far less exciting than the first portion had been. It was getting later in the evening and Kallie was getting both tired and restless. Meryl had taken over driving and Millie managed to fall asleep in the passenger seat. Kallie didn't think that she would be able to sleep in a moving vehicle, so she couldn't wait until they stopped for the night. She looked over to Vash, noticing that he was looking out into the distance again. She moved a bit closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to make herself comfortable.

She could feel Vash turning his head to look down at her and she glanced up at him. He had a big smile on his face as he draped his arm over her shoulder. Suddenly, falling asleep there didn't seem like such an impossible idea. She felt so peaceful and content at the moment, that she actually felt like she was starting to drift off. Just as that relaxing moment hit, Kallie heard Vash whisper into her ear.

"I'm guessing based on that kiss and you kissing me back, you don't have a boyfriend."

Kallie was a bit surprised by the question, but was more than happy to answer for him, "no, I don't actually."

His smile got even wider, "so then, would you like one?"

She couldn't help but giggle a little bit at the cheesy grin he was sporting at that moment. Before giving an answer she lifted her head and gave him a kiss, this one lasting a bit longer than the previous ones. She pulled away and just smiled at him, still able to make out those gorgeous eyes even in the poor lighting.

"I didn't think you'd ever ask," she replied, despite knowing that really they had only had any sort of real potential relationship for the last 12 hours.

Vash hugged Kallie, feeling elated and accomplished by having gotten himself a girlfriend. They were about to seal the deal with yet another kiss when they both suddenly realized that they had stopped moving. They both peeked out the window and saw that they were at a hotel. Then they realized that the girls were already out of the car, Millie grabbing their belongings and Meryl glaring so hard they could almost feel the daggers. Millie just giggled at the other woman's reaction to the two of them which then caused Kallie to blush a little bit. She was surprised to see that even Vash had the slightest tint of pink on his cheeks this time.

The three waited until Meryl had their room keys and walked back up to the group, "apparently there are only two rooms available, but luckily each of the rooms has two beds, so-"

Vash didn't hesitate to cut the insurance woman off, "I'M WITH KALLIE!"

Millie seemed perfectly content with the arrangement as she chimed in, "well I'm with Meryl then!"

The rooms weren't directly next to one another, there was a room in between, but they were still close enough that Meryl had a chance to stare holes into the back of Vash and Kallie's heads. The young girl could feel the stare the entire way to the rooms. Once they made it to their destination, Millie gave a little wave.

"Goodnight you two lovebirds! Be good!" and with that, she unlocked the door to her room with Meryl and stepped inside, dragging the other girl in with her.

Kallie hadn't stopped blushing since getting out of the car, but felt her face reddening a bit more than it had been before. In the room, Kallie just wanted to sleep more than anything else in the world. They set their bags down and Kallie stretched. Vash looked to her and gave a sly little smile.

"Do you want to take a shower first, or do you want me to go? Or, of course you could always take a shower _while_ I take a shower."

Kallie tried her hardest to give Vash an angry look, but the smile on her face ensured that he wouldn't be believing for even a second that she was angry or upset with his question.

"You can go first," she tried to use her and-no-funny-business voice, but once again, it didn't come off as anywhere near as threatening as she'd hoped.

"Okay," he replied in a sing-song voice, shrugging his shoulders "you're the one missing out then!"

Vash headed towards the bathroom while Kallie just fell backwards onto one of the beds, really just wanting to shower in the morning and get to sleep right then and there. She regretted not having showered that morning, but she really didn't have any time. She felt dirty, since she hadn't showered since the morning before she was shot, but they had at least cleaned her up so she wasn't caked in blood.

She felt herself almost drifting off to sleep within seconds, listening to the sound of Vash turning on the water to the shower and she sat up. She pulled the covers down on the bed to slip inside when she noticed that next to the phone was a note. She walked over to it and picked it up, quickly glancing at it, and was about to call Vash's name before he stepped into the shower, when she suddenly heard a scream.

* * *

Peggi: Oh shizzles, cliffhanger time!

Devy: We didn't get any reviews yet on here, but we have some people on another site who really wanted updates so we figured we'd update on here, too!

Peggi: We'll probably be updating Clarity next, but leave us some love and we'll try to put up chapters of this sooner!

Devy: So on the other site we do 'question of the chapter' things, so we thought it would be fun to do on here...so even if the next chapter is up feel free to participate!

Vash: Question of the chapter this time around is what the heck do you think just happened to me?!

Peggi: Things start to heat up a little in the next chapter, so send in some lovely reviews guys!


	4. The Man She was Falling For

Quick Recap: Kallie decides to travel with Vash, Millie, and Meryl and soon realizes that Meryl might have feelings for Vash. They make a quick stop only for her to see Legato talking to another man. She thought she'd made it inside before he noticed her, and alerted the others. Unfortunately, the man she was terrified of had seen her and managed to control the store owner, nearly getting Kallie killed. Vash managed to save her, and she reminds him that he promised to protect her, and things start to heat up a bit between she and Vash. They stop for the night and Vash is about to take a quick shower when suddenly, Kallie hears him scream.

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun nor do we own the items or settings where this story takes place. All we own is the idea for this nifty little story and our original characters. Please don't sue, as all you will get from us is a case of soda, which is needed to caffeinate the writer so she can actually get this done.

_**Chapter: The Man She was Falling For**_  
_**Chapter Written By: Peggi  
Edited and Revised By: Peggi & Devy**_

Running towards the bathroom with the note in her hand, Kallie quickly discovered why Vash had screamed. She covered her mouth, trying her hardest to suppress her laughter. Vash was jumping in place while holding his arm and Kallie couldn't help but let out a little laugh at seeing him. She simply handed the note over and giggled a little as she did so.

"You already had turned on the water by the time I saw the note about there not being any cold water," she explained, holding back a smile.

Vash took the note and glanced at it before fully realizing his surroundings again. He'd already removed his coat and shirt at that point and his upper body was completely exposed. Kallie didn't think anything of it, but Vash's entire face turned bright red and he crossed his arms in front of his chest in a failed attempt to shield himself. Kallie didn't realize the problem right away and it took a few seconds for her to snap to awareness and realize he must've been embarassed.

"Oh, right, sorry. I should let you get back to your shower."

Before she could walk back out the door, Vash spoke softly to her, "I didn't really want you to see me like this."

Trying to break the tension, Kallie just laughed a little, "what, jumping around a bathroom after burning yourself?"

"Oh, right. It's a good thing I checked the water first," he joked, clearly still uneasy.

"Really though, what's wrong?" Kallie had never seen a man this self-conscious in her life; usually it was women who tended to be a bit more shy.

Vash just tilted his head a little bit at her, "aren't...aren't you completely disgusted? All of my scars, and-"

Kallie didn't even allow him to finish his sentence before placing a finger over his lips, finally realizing what he was so uncomfortable about. She hadn't really given them much notice because she'd been more focused on the situation itself, but after him saying something, she noticed that almost every single inch of his body was covered in scars. Not just small, easy to hide ones, either. She locked her eyes on his and removed her finger from his mouth and smiled at him, but he still looked mortified by the whole situation.

Rather than try to find something clever to say to make him feel better about the situation, she pulled his face forward and kissed him. At first it was gentle and soft but the moment he wrapped his arms around her waist it all intensified. She had been kissed many times in her life, but never like this, and never by someone she felt this way about. She smiled when she recognized the taste of chocolate and remembered the donuts, one of which he had finished off for her just moments before they walked into their room.

Kallie felt his hand running along her back and it sent chills up and down her spine. She allowed him to push her against the wall behind her, kissing her even harder at that point. She ran her fingers through his hair as she battled with herself as to whether she should drag him back out into the other room towards the bed or not rush things and just enjoy the moment while it lasted. When he started kissing her jawline and the side of her neck it really didn't help to make her decision any easier, and if she could've formed words at that very moment she probably would've almost demanded he follow her into the next room.

She was a little surprised, though, when he stopped entirely and was looking into her eyes again. At first she assumed maybe he just needed to catch his breath for a moment, as they were both breathing pretty heavily, but he just gave a little half smile before he spoke.

"You never really answered me."

Kallie was too lost in his eyes, too turned on, and still trying to register what was even going on after their kiss to fully understand the question. She just gave him a confused look for a few moments, hoping that he would clarify what he meant. He stared at her, waiting for a reply until he realized she didn't understand him, so he tried again.

"Aren't you disgusted?" his voice almost cracked at the end of the question and Kallie wondered if he were almost on the verge of crying.

Rather than answer, she responded to his question with a question, "Vash, who did this to you?"

She ran her hands along his chest and abdomen, almost feeling like crying herself at the thought of anyone hurting him like that. He didn't answer her right away, watching her as she ran her fingers over every last inch of him. He was almost fascinated by her reaction, which was the exact opposite he'd always imagined of someone. Finally, he gave her a reply.

"A lot of people. This is the burden I must bare for not killing anyone," he paused for a moment before finishing his thought "you know, I really hate for women to see me like this. I've always been afraid that it might scare them. Or sicken them."

Kallie finally looked back up at his face, concern obvious in her eyes, "I wish you didn't have to go through the pain that caused them, but if you didn't have them...well then, you just wouldn't be Vash."

He thought about that for a short few seconds before smiling down at Kallie and returning to kissing her. She was still against the wall and as if by instinct he moved his hands, which were resting on her hips, upward to her arms. Once he was holding her wrists he put them above her head and completely pinned her to the wall. He could feel Kallie pushing herself away from the wall and he almost let her go, thinking maybe she didn't like what was happening, but realized she was just trying to move her body closer to his.

Vash was not one to turn down a situation like this, considering they were so few and far apart, so he took a small step forward so that she was completely pinned between him and the wall. He was so turned on and wanted her so badly that it was all he could do to focus on what was happening right then and there. Meanwhile, Kallie was in another heated battle with herself. She loved the feeling of him completely dominating her, which led her to so many other thoughts and ideas, but she wanted _more_.

She barely knew the guy so this teeny tiny part of her kept reminding her that she should get to know the guy before ripping the rest of his clothing off and throwing him onto the bed. That was just a teeny tiny part of her, though, and the rest of her was starting to become almost irritated by the fact that she wanted much more than she was getting. That part of her forgot what it was irritated by when she realized one of his hands had left her wrists and was moving down her side, lifting her shirt just a small amount. After his hand slipped under it he tugged at the waistband of the sweatpants she was wearing.

'Finally', she thought to herself, internally rolling her eyes despite knowing that at least he was moving past the foreplay whereas she would've been too afraid to get half as far as they were if she'd been making the moves.

She didn't have to even ask if he wanted this as much as she did, because she could clearly tell he was hard, but she decided to wait to let him decide what to do. At least, that was her initial plan. Before she realized what she was even doing, she had already pushed herself off of the wall and had stopped kissing him just long enough to push him out of the room and backwards onto the bed. The little voice that kept telling her to stop was completely drowned out by every instinct she had, guiding her through the entire procedure.

Vash was too surprised by having been thrown onto a bed by a woman, which, for the records, had never happened before to him, to really say or do much of anything other than let Kallie take control. Being careful to avoid injuring her side, which she had almost forgotten she'd been shot in, Kallie pulled her shirt over her head and crawled on top of Vash. She leaned in and kissed him again, then slid back down and began working on his belt. No sooner had she managed to pull his pants down did Vash hear her giggle. He lifted his head to look at her, seeing right away that she was desperately trying not to laugh.

Normally, this wouldn't be the response a guy would want from a girl who had just taken his pants off, but the moment he realized why she was laughing, he covered his face with his hands and started laughing too. Kallie took a moment to compose herself before tugging on his boxers with a smirk on her face.

"What is it with you and donuts?" she managed to get the words out in between some giggling.

Vash had forgotten entirely that he'd worn his favorite pair of boxers that day, obviously with no plans of having a girl see them. They just so happened to have donuts as the design, but fortunately for him, Kallie found it more amusing than weird. Also, luckily for both of them, the moment hadn't been a mood killer, and he sat up as Kallie removed her sweatpants, standing in front of him while twirling her dark hair. She was admiring her work so far, trying not to show any signs that she was actually very nervous at that point.

As if he could tell that she wasn't sure what to do next, Vash pulled her towards him and in a swift but gentle maneuver he managed to switch their positions. She was now laying on the bed and he was above her. He kissed her ribcage on the side she'd not been injured on while expertly reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. Just when he almost had it, there was a knock at the door.

They just exchanged glances, wondering who could possibly be at the door and both frustrated that they'd been interrupted in the first place. Kallie was also a great deal concerned that it could be Legato there to hurt her, or someone else, perhaps. Vash must've had the same thought, because he stood up from the bed and looked to make sure his gun was still in the spot he'd left it.

"Who is it?" he asked, a bit out of breath still.

"Me!" came Meryl's irritated voice from the other side of the door, "Kallie, are you okay in there? Is Vash behaving himself?"

Meryl was practically yelling through the door, and Kallie felt her face turn completely red. She wasn't sure if it was from anger at Meryl's intrusion, or embarrassment because she was just laying there in a bra and panties in front of the boyfriend she'd had for less than 24 hours.

"Uh yeah," she replied, just loudly enough for Meryl to hear but hopefully not the people who might be in the rooms next to theirs. "He's fine."

Kallie finally discovered the emotion she was feeling to explain the redness on her face, and it was definitely embarrassment. She grabbed at her clothes and wrapped the blanket around her, trying to feel less exposed at the moment. She wasn't sure if she was grateful for the interruption or angry, but she was a bit relieved when she realized that Vash was redressing himself as well. She managed to slip her clothes on faster than Vash could locate and put his back on, and she sat down on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face in them.

As soon as Vash was dressed and checked to make sure Kallie was as well, he opened the door and Meryl was still standing outside of it. Her hands were on her hips and she looked like she was very impatient. She picked up two bags that were next to her on the ground and walked in, pushing past Vash. She instantly looked to Kallie and then back at Vash, a suspicious look on her face, but she said nothing.

"I thought the two of you might be hungry, so I brought you both some food. It's not much, but it's something. Oh, and by the way, there's no cold water."

The moment she said it, both Vash and Kallie started to giggle and she gave them another odd look, not sure what she had walked into or what was so funny to them. Kallie instantly relaxed and crawled off of the bed, investigating what Meryl and brought them.

Meryl just raised an eyebrow at their odd behavior, looking back and forth again before excusing herself as quickly as she could, "enjoy the food. We have to leave early so you two had _better_ go to bed early tonight. Good night, Kallie. And Vash?"

"Hm?" he looked up from the bags, which he was also looking through.

"You'd better not try anything with Kallie."

Vash just put on the most innocent smile he possibly could as she left, closing the door behind herself. Kallie and Vash both looked up from the bags, making eye contact, and then bursting into laughter again. It was a close call, but it may have been for the better. They could still blame Meryl for interrupting, though. They were thrilled to see Thai takeout, and sat on the beds to eat. Every now and then they would glance up at one another, neither really wanting to break the silence for a while. After they were both finished eating, Kallie threw out her trash and sat back down on the bed.

Vash stood and threw his trash away but didn't return to the other bed. Instead, he walked up to Kallie and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry."

Kallie tried to read his face, not sure what exactly he was apologizing for in the first place. He just wore an apologetic look, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"You're sorry? For what?"

"You hardly know me. I was way too forward with you, and I know it."

She couldn't help but smile at how genuinely sweet he was, "you didn't do anything wrong. I was just as into it as you were, and I was the one who kissed _you_, remember?"

He nodded and stood, walking back to his own bed. They had turned off the lights and Kallie was staring at the wall, so tired she could've fallen asleep at any second, but too many thoughts kept racing in her mind. The past few days had been some very strange ones. First she had walked nearly all day in the heat before being shot, she met the man she once thought she hated and now she couldn't get those beautiful light green eyes out of her head. The moon was shining in through the small crack between the curtains and Kallie somehow kept expecting to see a shadow there. She closed her eyes and ignored the feeling, just hoping that Legato wouldn't somehow show up.

She was just starting to relax and drift off into sleep when she felt something shifting on her bed. She turned around quickly, nervous at first that her fears had been accurate, but then she relaxed again. She came face to face with Vash, and even in the pale moonlight she could see him with that big goofy smile.

"Can I sleep in your bed?" he asked, innocently.

Kallie narrowed her eyes at him, trying to give her most menacing look despite the fact that internally she was doing a little happy dance.

"Why?" she asked him, trying to play hard to get.

She could see that he was desperately trying to find a good enough excuse, but clearly he wasn't good at that when put on the spot, "there might be monsters under my bed."

Kallie just laughed at him and rolled her eyes, the dead-serious expression on his face when he said it being absolutely priceless to her. She grabbed his hand and turned over, snuggling up to him with his arm over her, and he took that as her answer and moved as close as he could to her. Kallie giggled a little and remembered Meryl's warning to Vash from earlier.

"Now, remember, Vash. Meryl said 'you'd better not try anything with Kallie', so you be good, or she'll be giving us dirty looks all day tomorrow."

They both laughed at the memory of Meryl eyeing them all day followed by her very stern warning. It didn't take long at all for either of them to completely fall asleep.

* * *

Peggi: Awww, I'm sorry. Were you hoping I might write in some tasty adult fun in this chapter? Hope I didn't break your feels. Don't worry, it's coming. In chapter 10. Where you will be linked off-site so none of the little kiddos on here who don't want to see such things won't have to read it! For now, that's all the spice this gal is offering!

Vash: So, what do you think about the me/Kallie relationship so far, and do you think Meryl will keep getting in the way?

Peggi: Probably, to that last question. Meryl certainly doesn't let up when she has an opinion! Please review guys! Faster updates come from reviews, m'dears!


	5. The Man She Would Risk it All For

Quick Recap: Vash and Kallie have a heart-to-heart about his insecurities and she makes him realize that they don't bother her. Things really start to heat up between the two of them, but Meryl interrupts before any action can take place between the happy couple. The two end the night snuggled up in bed next to one another, and soon they drift off into a happy, peaceful sleep!

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun nor do we own the items or settings where this story takes place. All we own is the idea for this nifty little story and our original characters. Please don't sue, as all you will get from us is a sandwich bag filled with pistachio shells.

_**Chapter: The Man She Would Risk it All For**_  
_**Chapter Written By: Peggi  
Edited and Revised By: Peggi **_

Kallie woke up the next morning to see Vash sitting on the end of his bed, completely dressed and looking like he was ready to go. She walked into the bathroom with her bag and brushed her teeth, making her best attempt at a shower without burning her skin off, and then grabbed a change of clothes she had in her bag. Luckily, her side wasn't hurting as much as it had been the previous day, so she knew she could get away with a tank top and jeans as long as she was careful. Once she was ready after her rushed shower and daily grooming, she stepped back out into the room. Vash was still in the same spot, looking in the exact same direction he'd been staring at when she left.

A bit worried about him being so lost in thought, Kallie walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face.

"You okay in there, Vash?"

He jumped a little at the sound of her voice but then turned to her and offered a small smile. It didn't do much to comfort her, as it was obvious that it was forced.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about someone."

Kallie quirked an eyebrow at the word 'someone', and the jealous girl part of her kicked in, though she didn't show it. She suddenly was wondering if maybe the reason Meryl kept eyeing them and acting so possessive was because there really _was_ something going on. Or maybe Millie, though she didn't seem at all upset by Kallie hanging all over him. Possibly even another woman who he'd recently broken up with. Her mind was a flood of thoughts at the moment, and she almost didn't hear him when he spoke.

"Knives," he said simply.

"Huh?" she wasn't sure she'd even heard him correctly.

"My twin brother, Knives. Legato is working for him, and I'm sure you've been wondering why Legato seems to show up wherever I seem to go."

Kallie just nodded, taking it all in and feeling a bit guilty for even jumping to the conclusion that her newly found prince charming would ever break her heart.

"It's a lot of information, and I know this may change the way you feel about me, but you deserve to know. If you want to go your own separate way, I won't stop you, I'll understand, Kallie."

"Just tell me, Vash. I want to - no, I _need_ to know what's going on. This involves me too, now."

Vash took a deep breath and sighed, mentally preparing himself to lose the first girlfriend he'd ever really had, "well, you see, Knives and I...we aren't humans. Not exactly, anyway. We were _created_, not born, on Project SEEDS. We're - we're actually humanoid plants, made to create power and energy for humans."

He gave Kallie a few moments to mentally catch up to where he was, and by the vacant expression on her face, her furrowed eyebrows, and her biting her lip, she wasn't quite there yet. After a few moments, she nodded, sitting down next to him and looking down at her lap.

"So, you have a twin brother, his name is Knives, and you're a plant that just looks like a person who was made to power things up," she repeated more than asked.

Vash opened his mouth to correct some of what she'd said, but was just a little surprised she was with him that far, "right. Well, Rem was the woman who raised us. She taught us how to live our lives and how to think. She taught us that peace and love were the two most important things in the universe and no one life deserves to take the life of another. She wanted us to believe that _everyone_ and _everything_ deserves a chance to live. That's what I've always believed, that's why I couldn't even shoot the man with the gun yesterday, or Legato in the bar. It goes against everything I've ever believed to be true and right, ever since I was very young."

Kallie didn't take as long to respond to the second part he'd given her, "so, if Legato works for your brother, then that means that Knives doesn't believe what Rem taught you guys?"

"No, he doesn't. Not all of the humans on Project SEEDS were as kind to us as Rem. I still believe that no living thing deserves to have life extinguished, but Knives believes the opposite. He thinks that humans are like a cancer to this planet, and his goal is to destroy all human life forms. He thinks that _we_ deserve to live, because he considers us to be more important. More worthy. He wants to kill every human he comes across until there is nothing left but us. The only thing stopping him so far is me."

"Wow, that's...that's definitely a lot. So then he's trying to kill all of us, but why doesn't he realize that not all people are like the ones that were on SEEDS with you guys? I mean, that's terrible that you two were created to just be used, and then mistreated or abused, but not everybody is like that. Rem obviously wasn't like that."

Vash nodded, "right, but he doesn't seem to see it that way. His judgement is clouded by hate. The people who hurt us are _long_ gone, but he still blames your race as a whole. We..." he wasn't sure if he really wanted to finish his sentence or not, but decided he might as well, "we've been alive for over 100 years now, almost all of it has been spent here on this planet."

Kallie took in a deep breath, trying to comprehend all of the information she'd been given. Obviously, there was a lot more Vash couldn't exactly tell her in this one conversation, but what he had was an awful lot. She'd read books growing up about girls who fell in love with creatures like vampires or monsters, only very rarely did it ever work out well. This, however, was different. She wasn't dealing with a non-human, evil thing that wanted to drain her blood or make her into dinner. Vash _looked_ human, he certainly acted with more respect and kindness than most of the people she'd ever known. There was a bit of an age difference, but he didn't exactly look like he was over a century old. Actually, he looked closer to her age.

He still had his own thoughts and feelings, and she loved him for who he was. Kallie mentally shook her head, trying to understand her own thoughts. She loved him? No, not love, very much liked was a better way of putting it. Then again, if this had been any other man telling her this she'd have laughed at him for being insane or walked out because clearly if there was a madman who could live for over 100 years after Vash, after humans, sticking around wouldn't be safe. She _had_ to love him, or she wouldn't still be having this conversation.

"So, this guy Legato. Is he a plant too? Is that why he wants me dead?"

Vash just shook his head, "no, Legato isn't human. Well, not completely. Not anymore. But I don't think he wants to kill you. If he wanted you dead, you would be. He's had two chances to kill you and he hasn't."

"He's probably using me to get to you, then. That has to be the reason."

"No. I don't know why he involved you specifically, but it wasn't just to get to me, he's tried that before and this is way different."

The conversation was cut short by a knock on the door. Vash placed his hand over his colt, opening the door with his other hand. Kallie stood, slowly backing away, especially nervous after the conversation they were having, but saw Vash lower his hand from the gun. He opened the door and Kallie could see Millie, Meryl, and Wolfwood standing just outside. Millie just walked right in.

"Well, good morning, miss Kallie! Did you sleep well?" the woman asked with a big smile on her face.

Kallie was about to say something when Meryl cut her off, "we're leaving now. If we make it into town early enough, we can eat breakfast there."

Millie turned to walk out the door and the three headed off to where they'd parked the vehicle. Kallie grabbed her bag from the bed and took a quick look around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. When she turned around, Vash was right in front of her and she almost bumped into him.

"If you don't want to come with us, I'll make sure to let everyone know that you said your goodbyes," he offered in a hushed tone. "Staying with me could be dangerous, you've already seen what it's like."

Kallie saw his eyes flash with the fear that she might leave, it almost looked like he wanted to break down and cry at any moment, but she didn't allow him any more seconds of anxiety. She gave him a quick kiss and walked past him.

"There's no way I'm going to just walk away from this, mister. You've already told me you'll protect me, and what's there to be afraid of when you have a big, strong, gun-slinging boyfriend with perfect aim and a slight donut obsession?" Kallie turned around just long enough to flash a big smile at him and then continued walking.

They caught up to the other three and Vash felt a lot better about things. When he woke up that morning he was almost certain that he would never see Kallie again but now he almost had an entirely different outlook on things. They were just a short distance away from the car when Meryl turned to her.

"So, was Vash well-behaved last night?"

Kallie hadn't minded the intrusion the night before, or even the constant looks while they were on the road, but now it was just becoming annoying, "yes, he was. You know, you don't have to _monitor_ my boyfriend, though. I know you're just worried about me, but I can definitely take care of myself."

Meryl's face went completely pale and she looked stunned, "wait, Vash is...Vash is your..._boyfriend_?"

Everyone was at the car, ready to get in when they turned to look at Kallie and Vash. Meryl's yelling had gotten their attention, but now the other two were mostly just curious about what they'd missed. Nothing else was said as Millie got behind the wheel. Wolfwood was already at the door to the front passenger seat, and momentarily considered switching with Meryl, so that Kallie and Vash wouldn't have to deal with her during the ride, but he was too amused. Vash was a little bit nervous because of Meryl's temper and knew she wouldn't try anything with Kallie, so he made sure she sat between them.

The first hour was filled with awkward silence, but Millie was bored, so she began singing some tunes kids tend to sing during travel, to pass the time. Wolfwood joined in, while Meryl just glanced over at the other two with disgust. Eventually, Vash got bored from just sitting there for so long, so he decided to find his own creative way to pass the time. He placed an arm over Kallie's shoulders, pulling her towards him at the same time as he used his free hand to turn her face to look at him. Once she was facing him, he pressed his lips against hers, not really giving her much time to protest. Not that she would have, of course.

Meryl let out an indignant gasp at the two, but Kallie, who normally would've been amused by it, didn't even notice. She was too distracted by her boyfriend's tongue in her mouth and the feeling of his hair as she ran her fingers through it. She couldn't even feel the hatred being glared at her by the other woman, and noticed her surroundings even less when Vash pulled away from kissing her to leave light, feathery kisses on her neck. It sent chills down her spine and when he found the most sensitive spot on her neck, right where it met her shoulder, he gave her an extremely light nibble there.

Kallie felt her face heat up, not from embarrassment or anger this time, but from complete lust. She completely forgot where she was and that there were other people in the car with them, and when he sucked on that same spot on her neck she gave him the exact reaction he was trying for. She ever so quietly moaned his name, just loud enough for Meryl and Vash to hear, but not so loud as to bring attention to them from the two in front who were still singing their hearts out.

Vash pulled away, smirking, and Kallie finally collected her thoughts and realized where she was and what had just happened. Her eyes widened a bit and when she turned back around, Meryl looked like she was just about ready to leap out of her seat and strangle them both. Kallie just looked out the windshield, a little nervous because of the way Meryl was looking at her, yet very distracted as Vash kept running his finger up and down her neck and giving her kisses every so often on her ear, cheek, and neck for the next couple of hours.

Kallie couldn't wait to get out of the car and away from Meryl. They finally reached the next down, and drove through the streets. There was a gate just outside of town with some areas to park, which they did, and they walked into the town. There was absolutely no one to be seen. The only sign of life was a black cat walking on a sidewalk, which paused to lick its paw and then went back on its journey down the sidewalk.

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Peggi: Thanks to those who favorited/followed this story so far! You guys totally rock! Re-reading all of this to revise, I can't help but giggle at little-me, who had barely seen any of Trigun when this was written, and there's so much later that requires fixing, because of how out of character some of them were! Geeze! But I hope you guys are liking this story so far! Don't forget to leave me some lovely reviews, guys!


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